Last week when news broke that the City was going to build a new roundabout intersection at Darlington and Dracup it created a definite buzz in the city.
Some of that buzz was simply the background noise of coffee shop talk, while in other sectors it was more like the buzz like a hive of very angry bees.
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic flows almost continuously in one direction around a central island. The modern form was standardized in the United Kingdom.
So-called ‘modern’ roundabouts require entering traffic to give way to traffic already in the circle.
One of the benefits of a roundabout is reduced driver confusion associated with perpendicular junctions and reduced queuing associated with traffic lights.
Also, when entering vehicles only need to give way, they do not always perform a full stop.
A roundabout is not a new concept in Yorkton by any means. There has been one at the intersection of Gladstone Avenue and King Street for a number of years.
In terms of traffic flows it works well provided those using it follow the rather simple rules of a roundabout.
Like any traffic intersection, there will, at times, be delays, and there will be situations where the natural flow is interrupted by drivers who do not follow the rules, but that does not mean a roundabout does not have merit.
In the case of the newly planned roundabout it will go on a corner where traffic flows are going to increase as the new Parkland College Trades and Technology Centre opens. With classes throughout the day flows will have something of an ebb and flow to them and a roundabout should keep traffic moving through the intersection in all directions without massive delays for anyone.
Of course, the key is adapting to traffic features we may not have grown up with as drivers.
The sign of a growing city is the need to adopt systems which deal with higher traffic flows which come hand-in-hand with population growth.
The two-way-turn-lanes at the west end of Broadway Street are another example of that change.
When first installed they had their immediate fans, and plenty of detractors too.
Today the lanes are at least generally tolerated, and when used correctly, help maintain smooth traffic flows.
Of course there are still may who don’t use the lanes correctly, and that can create problems, but that is a driver problem, not a turn lane issue.
Roundabouts face the same issue, used properly they are an asset to traffic flows, but it does put the onus on drivers to learn to use them correctly.
